Conventional restraining devices used by law enforcement officials include handcuffs for restraining a person's hands and leg irons for restraining a person's legs. These types of restraining devices typically comprise two heavy metal cuffs that are secured to one another by chains. The cuffs fit around the prisoner's arms or legs and include some form of locking device to prevent their removal.
There are certain circumstances in which an alternate form of restraining device could be useful. For example, law enforcement officials typically carry on a single pair of handcuffs due to the size and weight of the handcuffs. When the law enforcement officer makes multiple arrests, there is a need for additional restraining devices. It would be impractical for the law enforcement officer to carry a large number of handcuffs.
Another problem encountered when using conventional restraining devices occurs when the prisoner is transferred from one law enforcement agency to another. When the transfer is made, one set of handcuffs and/or leg irons is removed from the prisoner and another set of handcuffs and/or leg irons is applied. Such close contact with the prisoner unnecessarily exposes the law enforcement officers to an attack from a potentially dangerous prisoner.
Disposable cuffs for restraining prisoners are sold by several different manufacturers. Representative examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,186,047 and 5,621,949. Such restraints typically comprise a flexible strap that is used to form loops around the prisoner's arms or legs. The strap includes an enlarged head portion having a slot. The free end of the strap is inserted through the slot to form a loop around the prisoner's wrist or ankle. The slot has a locking pawl that permits one-way movement of the strap. Once the strap is tightened around the prisoner's wrist or ankle, it cannot be loosened. The strap is removed by cutting the strap. To restrain a prisoner, two straps are interlocked The second strap is inserted through the loop in the first strap before it is secured in its respective slot.
Dual-loop restraining devices of the type described above are also known. Representative examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,910,831; 5,159,728; and 5,443,155. These patents illustrate dual-loop restraining devices that use flexible strap-like elements to bind a prisoner's arms and legs. The straps include enlarged head portions having slots through which a free end of the strap is inserted to form the loops. The strap typically includes a series of teeth which are engaged by a pawl in the slot to lock the strap in place and prevent it from being withdrawn
One limitation associated with the dual-loop restraining devices is that they lack any means to adjust the spacing between the loops. For particularly large and bulky prisoners with limited range of motion, the fixed spacing between loops may not be enough to allow the prisoner's hands to be cuffed behind the prisoner's back. Similar difficulty may be encountered when arresting a person with an injury or disability. Also, for a prisoner who poses a safety hazard to the law enforcement officer, it may be desirable to bind his or her hands or feet closely together to reduce the risk associated with the handling of the prisoner. On the other hand, for a prisoner who is cooperative and does not propose a risk to the law enforcement officer, it may be desirable to allow some freedom of movement for the prisoner's comfort.
Another problem with dual-loop restraining devices is that they are more costly to manufacture and have limited utility. Therefore, dual-loop restraining devices are not used as frequently as the conventional single loop restraints.
Accordingly, there is a need for a inexpensive, dual-loop restraining device that allows some adjustment in the distance between the restraining loops and which has greater utility than conventional dual-loop restraining devices.